Comments on: Alcohol at Weddings: Open Bars, Cash Bars, and Limited Menus

By: Ryan @ Impersonal Finance

Ryan @ Impersonal Finance — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 19:00:57 +0000

I love the hybrid approach Daisy. I think it’s a really smart plan, and honestly I don’t think it’s tacky at all to let people know they are free to bring their own liquor if they want to. My wife and I eloped, so thankfully we didn’t have to deal with this problem, but I think I would have done something along the same lines as you. If we had to do an open bar, it would definitely not have been top shelf stuff, so I really like the idea.

By: Emily @ Urban Departures

Emily @ Urban Departures — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 16:13:49 +0000

Like Mo’ Money Mo’ Houses, we did a subsidized bar. We budgeted for 2.5 (alcoholic) drinks/adult. Once the limit was reached, we closed the bar. At the end of the night, we had a hundred dollars remaining, and we bought drinks for the remaining guests. It worked out well because our guestlist consisted of 70% family who aren’t big drinkers; they averaged a drink/person which allowed for the bigger drinkers to get drunk. Haha.

By: Marissa@Financetriggers

Marissa@Financetriggers — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 09:59:50 +0000

What can you suggest Daisy on what kind of bar to chose during wedding is it a cash bar or the open bar?

By: Blog Love - Hashtags & Warrior Poses | MoMoneyMoHouses

Blog Love - Hashtags & Warrior Poses | MoMoneyMoHouses — Fri, 28 Feb 2014 10:01:47 +0000

[…] Alcohol at Weddings: Open Bars, Cash Bars, and Limited Menus by When Life Gives You Lemons Add Vodka […]

By: Mo' Money Mo' Houses

Mo' Money Mo' Houses — Fri, 28 Feb 2014 03:17:05 +0000

We did a subsidized bar. I think we put $1500 into the bar (including wine at dinner, and we only paid for bottles that were opened), and once that amount was reached then it turned into a cash bar. I’m so glad we did that because I think it would have been a drunken mess if it was an open bar, plus we didn’t go broke.

By: Anne @ Unique Gifter

Anne @ Unique Gifter — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 16:01:26 +0000

My Mom really wanted us to have an open bar… and we REALLY didn’t want to stick our parents (wedding costs were split between us and both sets of parents) with the bill from our friends’ drinking. Some of them work in liquor marketing and can really, really drink. Open bars are nice, but they can get wicked pricey. My friend had a backyard wedding and they just lined coolers up along the fence with mixes, beer and white wine and had a table with bottles of hard alcohol. It was awesome and very affordable.

By: Linda

Linda — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 20:20:47 +0000

Our site (a state park) didn’t allow alcohol. We couldn’t provide it but plenty of people brought their own.

By: Kurt @ Money Counselor

Kurt @ Money Counselor — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 18:31:01 +0000

I’d love to see the results of a study on the percentage of positive RSVPs for weddings where the reception includes no alcohol, a cash bar, or an open bar. I think we all know the likely conclusions. 🙂

By: Blake @ BeanCounterByDay

Blake @ BeanCounterByDay — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 17:27:59 +0000

I have never been a fan of cash bars. Our original budget was for an open bar of beer and wine and then to have a signature liquor drink. Unfortunately the budget wouldn’t accommodate the liquor. I think most people will be perfectly happy with beer and wine though.

I like the idea of just having people bring their own liquor. We didn’t think of that. I may bring it up tonight 🙂

By: Michelle

Michelle — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 15:00:42 +0000

We will be having an open bar. Luckily, since our wedding will be on family property, we don’t have to pay the crazy inflated alcohol costs that some venues charge.